Dry-cell battery



June 24, 1930. A. K. HUNTLEY DRY CELL BATTERY Filed June 6 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE amen mm, or cnavrmmn, omo, ABSIGNOB 'ro iwrroiun omen 00., um, a canons-non or NEW roan DRY-CELL BATTERY Application med June 6, WW. Serial No. 198,865.

This invention relates to dry cells, and more particularly to batteries of dry cells of the flat type. A

The principal object of the invention 18 s to provide an inex nsive and conveniently assembled means or venting gases generated within batteries of flat type cells either on shelf or in service. Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

he venting of dry cells may be controlled within desired limits by established capillary passages through the seal. l have found thatcapillary passages may be established between the interior of the cell and the atmosphere so as to bring about controlled venting by extending a portion of the bibulous liner or spacer through the seal, or by joining a porous tab to said spacer and causing the tab to extend through the seal.

In the drawing: .Fig. 1 is a rspective view of a cell unit comprisin a duplex electrode, a bibulous spacer an a depolarizer mix cake, said unit bein adapted to be assembled with other simi ar umts to form a 'multi-cell battery of the flat .p such as is disclosed in U. S. patent to "ider and Huntley, No. 1,508,987.

Fig. 2 is a part sectional view and part side elevation of a battery comprising a plurality of cell units such as shown in l! ig.

1, the ortion of Fig. 2 shown in section being ta en on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Electrodes of the type herein referred to as du lex electrodes comprise a plate or strip 0 zinc or other suitable metal coated on one side with a plastic electrolyte-resistant material ping electrically conductive roperties. Such electrodes are ada ted, w en assembled with other necessary ry cell elements in a multi-cell batte to act res tivel as the negative electro e of one co and t e tive electrode of the next succeeding ce Referrin to Fig. 1 of the drawing, 10 is a duplex e ectrode comprising a zinc plate 11 and a conductive carbonaceous coating 12. In contact with the zinc side of the duplex electrode 10 is a spacer 13 consisting of a suitable bibulous sheet material such as pulpboard. A. depolarizer mix cake 14 is centered upon the side of the s acer 13 remote from the zinc plate 11. shown in Fig. 2, a multi-cell battery is formed by assembling the desired number of duplex electrodes, spacers and depolarizer mix cakes in such relation that each mix cake 14 contacts with the coated side 12 of the adjacent duplex electrode 10 andis'separated from the zinc side 11 of the next succeeding duplex electrode by a bibulous spacer 13. One end electrodeof the battery is shown as a plain zinc late 15. The battery elements are also s own as held in a unitary assembly b means of binding tape 16, and when such binding or tapi means 18 employed the battery is assemble before it is placed within the container 17. However, it is to be understood that the battery may be assembled directly within the container. End boards 18 of wood or other suitable still insulating material are also shown.

Each of the bibulous spacers 13 is provided with a tab or projecting end portion 19 ada ted when the spacers are assembled with t e duplex electrodes and depolarizer mix cakes in: the battery to project beyond the peripheral edge portions of the duplex electrodes to a point at least flush with, if not beyond the upper edge of the container 17, so that when t e space between the battery assembly and the container is filled with plastic sealing material 20 the tabs 19 will have their upper extremities exposed to the atmosphere. Preferably the tabs are of suflicient length to extend above the upper edge of the container 17 and are cut ofi flush with the upper surface of the finished battery after theseal has been poured, thus insuring that the venting properties of the bibulous material composing the tabs are not impaired by adhering sealing plastic with which the ends of the tabs may have become coated during the pouring operation.

. It will be understood that instead of forming the tab as an integral part of the spacer it may be made separately and then attached to the spacer in any suitable manner as by sewing or by the use of an adhesive.

The usual amounts of electrolyte salts and moisture are incorporated in the delarizing mix and the spacers 13 as is cusmary. Also paste electrolyte ma be a plied to the body portions of eac of t e scars on that side which is to contact with t e zinc side of the duplex electrode.

The tab ortions of the s acers are treated to render t em water repe lent. Otherwise, owing to the moist condition of the body portions of the spacers, moisture would be carried out of the cells by capillary action. Under these conditions the electrolyte salts which accumulate in the vent are apt seriously to impair its capacity for passing gas. A procedure which is adapted to render the tab portions substantially impervious to water without destroying the gas-conducting properties thereof, comprises impregnating such tab portions with a mixture of paraflin, 10%, and carbon tetrachloride or similar volatile solvent, 90%. This is followed by heat treatment to evaporate the solvent.

The tab or vent portions of the spacers may be varied as to cross sectional area depending upon the porosity of the material used and upon the venting capacity desired. Such venting capacity is controlled within certain predetermined limits, these var ing in accordance with the size and other 0 aracteristics of-the cell. A test which has proven suitable in standardizing such vent tabs consists in passing such a vent tab through a partition or other medium which is otherwise impermeable to gases. A vacuum is then created on one side of the partition and the rate of flow of air through such tab is measured. For ventin cells of the size and type used in radio B batteries comprising cells of the flat type now on the market suitable vent tabs pass air at rates from 0.15 to 1.5 cc. er minute through a length e uivalent to t eir operatin path in the ce under a vacuum of 61 millimeters of mercury.

I In the drawin air spaces 21 are shown in dotted line as ormed in the mix cakes at points remote from the eripheral edge ortions. These spaces pre erably take the orm of a. plurality of narrow groove-like depressions in that face of the mix cake which abuts against the bibulous spacer 13. The spacers are also shown as provided with slit valves 22 adapted to permit paste forced away from the zinc anodes to pass throu h p the spacers into the air spaces 21. It will understood, however, that the present invention ma be used in llixatteries including other ty 0 air spaces t 'an the t pe s own.

iiime the invention has been described with reference particularl to batteries of dry cells of the flat type it is to be understood that the application of the invention to cylindrical dry cells, a bibulous papegl l ner, is not preclu aim:

1. A dry cell having a moist mix substant1allg surrounded by walls of insuflicient permea 1l1ty to vent t e gases produced within the cell, a bibulous spacer separatin said mix from the anode, and a tab rmea le to gases but water-repellent, sai tab being ]O1Il8d to said spacer and extending through one of said we ls to provide capillary gas pass therethrough.

2 cell battery comprising a Inrahty of at electrode elements arrange in spaced relation, depolarizer mix in the 5 aces between said elements and spaced in certain of said elements by bibulous spacmg members, plastic sealing material encasin the cell assembly thus formed, and tabs joined to the spacin members and extending through the seeing material, said tabs being impregnated wit a water-repellent substance and providing ca illary passages bet-ween the respective ce ls and the atmosphere.

3. dr cell battery comprising a lurality of at duplex electrodes arrange in spaced relation, depolarizer mix in thespaces between said elements, bibulous s acers between the mix and the anode sur aces of the electrodes, said spacers havin tab portions extending be 0nd the perip eral edge portions of the ad] acent electrodes, and sealin plastic completely surrounding the assem 1y but leaving the ends of the tabs ex osed.

n testimon whereof I aflix m si nature.

A TON KARL H NT EY. 

